Information Systems and Technology Articles

Consumers and mobile advertising

UOPX Writer Network

| August 27, 2010

College of Information Systems and Technology

The mobile phone seems ubiquitous in U.S. society. People of all ages, including young children and senior citizens, have and use mobile phone technology. Many businesses have capitalized on this observation by including mobile advertising in their marketing strategies. Mobile marketing holds promise and potential for advertisers, but its misuse will incite consumer rebellion, damaging advertisers’ bottom line and company reputation.

The promise of mobile advertising

Unlike with email marketing, consumers have embraced mobile advertising with more than half surveyed claiming to have purchased a product or service as a result of an ad appearing in an application they used. Considerably more than half of consumers surveyed stated that they would rather download an application free and see ads than purchase an app free of ads. In addition to ads on free apps, businesses are connecting with consumers via text message ads. Text ads present a unique opportunity for companies to communicate with consumers, but they also have the most potential for abuse.

Best practices for mobile advertising

Consumers purchase products that help them solve a problem or complete everyday things more easily. Ad designs should convey the value of a product to the consumer. Customer-focused ads, whether delivered passively with a free app or via a text message subscription, communicate most effectively with potential customers. Businesses should never send text-based ads to customers who have not chosen to be included in the message database. Additionally, the ads should always offer a clear and easy way to unsubscribe at any time. This builds customer trust and business reputation.

Considerations

If used properly and ethically, mobile marketing offers a low-cost method of communicating relevant product information to consumers. However, misuse of this marketing channel will lead to a consumer backlash resulting in restrictive laws and an erosion of potential, much like what occurred in the past with email marketing.